I love orange, there will be more blocks by next week. Please see everyone's orange efforts at SoScrappy.

Time to check on my weekly goals--

Cozy Cabin blocks sewn to a flimsey--twosies are now foursies

Album Blocks sewn to a flimsey-YES

Orange Jacob's Ladder blocks-YES

Sew one more row on Bricks and Stepping Stones flimsey-YES

This weekend is more sewing, maybe borders on a top. I just have to think what size etc to cut them. The Cozy Cabin blocks are wonderful mindless sewing. Pluck them off the design wall, sew, press, and pin them back up! And I'm working on the 39 6" Barn Dance blocks. Slow going because my backgrounds are scrappy neutrals. Lots of little bits to cut/sew/press. But I'm loving it, I love the blocks so I'm sure I'll love the quilt.

Rainy and cold again today. All last week and probably most of this week. 41F with rain is cold! Neighbors must be having problems with water in their basements--lots of hoses appearing to the road/storm drains. We never have that problem, I think our house was well tiled when it was built.

Lorri2Rs and I were at a retreat featuring Bonnie Hunter! We had SO MUCH FUN! Two days for me, Saturday making Jared Takes a Wife and Sunday making My Blue Heaven. I learned how to use the Easy Angle and Companion Angle for My Blue Heaven. Learning "new" methods/tools is not something I enjoy, but this is a time and fabric saving method. My Blue
Heaven is to use up some of my blues. I shared blues with 2Rs and
Sandy. They shared back, the dent in my stash is very very very small.
Rats!

Bonnie shares many "pearls" (quilting tips) during her classes. One that stuck in my mind is "cut ON the line" which means when you measure to cut--that cutting line is ON the fabric, not beside it. Its a tiny smidge that over many small pieces adds up! Bonnie is lots of fun--a very dedicated teacher--I can't imagine how tired she must be at the end of four days of classes.

Bonnie had several items to sell, I bought this--

A "chair" for my phone. My phone goes missing a LOT and maybe this will help. A few pictures from the classes--

A serious chain piecer!

Our classroom was big--50 quilters.

Bonnie did a demo on how to decide on those "iffy" fabrics--are they a light or a dark? Sometimes it depends on where you are going to use them--if you held them next to the dark red w/neutral block--they are a light. In another quilt they might be a dark. And if you think they "muddy" the contrast--don't use them! Or perhaps turn them over and use the "wrong" side. There are no wrong sides--you paid for it--its YOUR fabric! We also learned how to "web" your blocks/quilt, and "leaders and enders".

Saturday evening was a trunk show/lecture. Bonnie explained how her Scrap Users System works using this visual aid--

Scraps are cut into 1.5", 2", 2.5", and 3.5" strips. You can make ALL the blocks on this quilt using those dimensions. It was definitely the "method behind the madness" moment. The free patterns on her website are made using these pieces.

Will I make leaders/enders a part of my process? Probably not, I get distracted by them. Will I web my top/blocks? Sometimes. But learning the "whys" and "how to's" will keep me from being too close-minded!

Class participants came from all over--meet Paula, who was from Rochester MN and so much fun--

Paula, can you come sew with 2Rs and I? You fit right in!

This is Sandy. Sandy--I'm glad I know you!!

This is where 2Rs and I sewed. Its a rare picture--Lorri is sitting at her machine (reading emails on her phone)!! She is a social butterfly--flits around the room talking to everyone. That is her favorite part of retreats. Notice the dish of chocolates on our table, quilters can't sew without chocolates!

And the requisite "Bonnie & Me" picture--

Thank you Bonnie for a wonderful weekend. Your website is a "go-to" treasure trove of patterns, how-to's, and useful information. Please check out Quiltville.com. Another big thank you to the Siouxland Samplers Guild of Sioux City IA for hosting this retreat.

Weekly Goals--

Cozy Cabin blocks sewn to a flimsey

Album Blocks sewn to a flimsey

Orange Jacob's Ladder blocks

Sew one more row on Bricks and Stepping Stones flimsey

Its going to be a busy week, warm enough to work outside. Stash needs to be put away, piles of fabric are everywhere.

2Rs and I made enough blocks for two quilts. She had a box of 1.5" strips and the black centers were cut from a chunk of scrap fabric. All the blocks came home with me to play with. Its my kind of pattern--no diagonals, no background, and ANYTHING goes for fabric! We only made a small dent in the 1.5" strips. Not what we planned to work on this weekend but it was more fun! Simple mindless sewing, just what we needed. Please see everyone's design wall posts at Patchwork Times.

It was also city wide rummage sale where 2Rs lives. We didn't think we'd go but then a couple Sweat Shop ladies had stopped at one and said the magic words--OLD SEWING MACHINE. Away we went and Lorri2Rs is the proud new owner of this machine--

Pfaff 360

Oh its a wonderful find! All the parts, the manual, and it sews like a dream! She dusted it, new needle and sewed all weekend with it. The needle moves from side to side and it zigzags too! It has a free arm, the bed collapses down out of the way, and the extension fits right on the end. The case reminds us of a bowling ball bag, but the parts all fit in there. Not as light as a Singer Featherweight, but much lighter than most machines. A wonderful machine to travel with.

And speaking of travel, 2Rs and I are retreating in Sioux City IA this weekend, Bonnie Hunter classes. We're ready to have fun, our projects are ready, I just need to cut a few pieces of brown fabric and oil/pack a couple of sewing machines. I'm driving so can pack extra machines for "just in case".

Weekly Goals

Barn Dance blocks

Orange blocks

Sash album blocks

Finish sewing Bricks and Stepping Stones blocks together

Cozy Cabin Blocks

I'm leaving on Friday so not sure how much sewing I'll get done. Whatever I do will be progress. Its raining and everything is greening up. Lots of outside work to do now.

A Minion panel and coordinating fabrics! Laura Beth requested a Minion quilt for Maxwell. I love Minions, I may have to order a panel for myself! Please see everyone's stash reports at Patchwork Times.

Orange is one of my favorite colors--there will be more orange used next week! Please see everyone's orange projects at SoScrappy.

This week I finished a quilt--remember the guild "kit"?

Its 75" x 84" and I'll estimate it used 11 yards. The B/W 4 patches were found while organizing in the sewing room, so this quilt also qualifies as a UFO finish. Its being donated to a boys group home. One of my goals this year is to make/donate "boy" quilts. What size do you make teenager quilts? I know where I donate these there are Xlong twin beds.

Its getting warmer--finally! Ken and I spent two afternoons pulling out a 75 foot row of lilacs. We'd planned to remove the dead parts and trim them back, but after we started we realized the shrubs were mostly dead with lots of root rot. Not sure if we will replant lilacs or another shrub.

Ken and I worked outside yesterday. We bought the adjacent lots 18 months ago and there was a row of lilacs had been neglected for years. They lined the sidewalk and hung into it. At first we were going to remove the dead bits and trim them, but they were so rotted and straggly we pulled them all out. Sigh I LOVE lilac bushes but these were too far gone. There are four more trees we'd like to remove.They are slowly dying, do not shade our house and are poorly positioned. We don't want them to fall on our house or the neighbors buildings!

April has been quite cold so far. Last night the temps were in the 20's. But the grass is getting green and Spring must be coming.

I'll study them and sew them together. I need to get them off the wall so I can play with these--

Album blocks--there are 84 to plan with. I will need to make one more to round the numbers out. Please see everyone's design wall posts at Patchwork Times.

Weekly Goals--

Barn Dance Step Two

Jacob's Ladder blocks

Bricks & Stepping Stones

Make Alletaire binding

Hand sew more binding

Quilt a top

Last week's goals were a bust! Life just got busy, I did lots of sewing but nothing on my list. That's okay, progress is progress! So the same goals again this week. I did quilt a QOV for my guild. Its trimmed and the binding sewn on, I'll pass it to someone else at the next guild meeting.

Saturday we celebrated Maxwell's first birthday--

Mason, Maxwell, and Asher

We offered to take Maxwell home with us, but Mason didn't want him to go. He volunteered Asher instead! Aren't big brothers great?

Sunday I did very little. Pressed a wide backing. Washed a few loads of laundry. Cut/slid the batting for the next quilt on the Princess, its ready to go. And I did what was suggested on the inside of a Dove chocolate--"Give Yourself the Day Off!"

The weather turned much warmer, I don't think it will last but Spring will get here soon. The peonies are coming up and the grass is getting green.